Verified decision guide
Cursor BYOK Charges: Provider Bill and Platform Rate
Identify who bills a Cursor BYOK request, the Teams and Enterprise platform-rate exception, model-routing conditions, and features outside custom API keys.
Direct answer · check plan, key and routed model
A provider key can still leave a Cursor-side charge
Cursor Teams/Enterprise BYOK: eligible third-party model requests incur $0.25 per million input/output/cached tokens on Cursor, plus provider API billing. First-party Grok/Composer models are exempt from this rate.
The same rate applies to eligible third-party requests within included usage, on-demand usage and BYOK. The docs do not establish that adding a provider key replaces the Cursor subscription or routes every feature through that key.
Map the request to its billers
| Request path | Provider side | Cursor side |
|---|---|---|
| Teams / Enterprise, eligible third-party BYOK chat | The API account associated with your key pays provider usage. | Cursor Token Rate: $0.25 per million input, output and cached tokens. |
| Auto routes to a third-party model | Verify the actual provider/key path; Auto alone does not prove BYOK. | The documented third-party token-rate condition also applies to Auto routing. |
| First-party Cursor models, including Grok and Composer | Do not classify these as a third-party BYOK request. | Exempt from this token rate. Exemption does not mean every plan or usage charge is zero. |
| Individual plan BYOK | Provider usage is at your API account's cost. | Unknown — unresearched: these sources establish the platform rate for Teams/Enterprise, not a universal individual surcharge or zero-charge guarantee. |
| Tab completion | Custom keys apply to chat models; Tab does not use this custom-key path. | Uses Cursor's built-in models and the applicable plan terms. |
Derived fee example, not a full invoice: 4 million eligible input/output/cached tokens × $0.25 = $1.00 in Cursor Token Rate, plus whatever the key's provider bills. Provider token/cache pricing is separate; this arithmetic does not estimate tasks or messages.
Check before running the request
- Identify your Cursor plan and any negotiated Enterprise billing terms.
- Open Cursor Settings → Models. Add and save the intended provider key, then verify which models appear. OpenAI custom keys are documented for standard non-reasoning chat models; do not assume all model-picker entries accept that key.
- Check the selected model and whether routing is direct or Auto. An invalid or rejected key makes that provider's requests fail until you update or remove it; do not assume a free fallback.
- Inspect the API provider's usage and Cursor's usage separately. Use Cursor spending controls for applicable Cursor charges and the provider's own controls for its API account.
Custom-key requests still pass through Cursor for prompt building. Cursor's Zero Data Retention policy does not apply to BYOK; the chosen provider's policy applies. Team administrators should verify the permitted key/provider configuration before relying on their normal Cursor data policy.
Unknown — account_dependent: actual provider prices, routing, tax, negotiated fees and account controls. No key, credential or account data is collected here.
Sources and freshness
Review weekly and before enabling BYOK. Recheck plan eligibility, third-party routing, token-rate scope, supported models and negotiated team terms.
For current plans and allowances, see the product guide.